Isla Mujeres is a small island to the East of Cancun. Although not far from the busy city, it is a laid back slice of paradise. It is quite touristy but is smaller than it’s neighbouring island Cozumel so you still get that local kind of feel. The beaches and the water are gorgeous here so definitely worth a visit whether it’s just for the day or for a few nights.
How did we get there?
Isla Mujeres is super easy to get to. Ferries go every half an hour from Puerto Juarez in Cancun. If getting a taxi to/from the port, definitely haggle with the taxi drivers as being a hot-spot for touists, they really try to rip you off. We managed to get our taxi from the Port to the airport for almost half the price of what they first told us. The ferry only takes about half an hour and we had a local guy singing and playing his guitar on the rooftop the whole way there which was amazing! The ferry drops you right in the centre of the main town on the island.
Where did we stay and for how long?
We stayed on the island for 3 nights which was the perfect amount of time. We actually stayed in the middle of the island as we wanted to explore but in hindsight, if we went again we would stay in the town centre in the north of the island as this is where everything is happening.
What did we do whilst we were there?
Isla Mujeres has the most bright blue water that we saw anywhere on our trip. The beaches are unreal for sunbathing, sipping cocktails and swimming. In most places there are sun beds that you can hire which I would recommend as you get a parasol which was definitely needed by midday when it reached just short of 40 degrees!
There are lots of little streets in the main town so it’s a nice place to wander around and buy souvenirs. There are also a lot of bars showing sport and with live music.
One of the best things to do on this island is to hire a golf buggy and drive round the island. It’s too far to walk and a golf buggy is more fun than a taxi! You could probably drive the entire island in an hour but there are places to stop along the way so you can take as long or as little as you want.
You can stop off at the turtle sanctuary. This is a conservation project where they are helping to breed turtles in a safe environment and only releasing them into the sea once they are big enough to survive by themselves. I would really recommend this place, it was cute seeing all the different species of turtles and at different life stages.
On your drive around, you can also stop at Garrafon Natural Reef Park where it is possible to snorkle, chill in hammocks and zip-line but we didn’t stop here so I’m not sure how good it is. Right at the southern point (Punta Sur) you can park up and have a walk around to see the lighthouse and various sculptures and ruins. There is also a cafe if you want to stop for refreshments.
Restaurant recommendations:
Most of the restaurants can be found in the town centre in the North of the island. You can sit outside and watch all the people go by and there are often performers and live music in the evenings. If you want something a little more fancy there are a number of restaurants right on the beach where you can dine on the sand and watch the sunset!
Adventures with H 